In the first two games of the Western Conference finals, Dwight Howard fully embraced his role to make life on the court extremely difficult for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
Early in Game 3, the Lakers are struggling to keep the resilient Nuggets at bay. Denver has a commanding double-digit lead, but Howard is still trying to handle Jokic physically and vocally.
After bouncing around the league for a few years, Howard shockingly returned to the Lakers after an ugly exit in 2013. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was expected to be the cornerstone of the franchise in the twilight of Kobe Bryant’s career, but things didn’t work out as planned.
Howard left the Lakers willingly in NBA free agency once his contract expired, signing with the Houston Rockets. He instantly had become one of the most hated former Lakers players amongst fans and had been regularly booed when he played at the Staples Center.
Fortunately, he’s been able to reinvent himself in Los Angeles during his second stint with the team. The Lakers faithful has forgiven him for leaving as he has shown the willingness to embrace being a role player on the team that once tried to groom him into a franchise player.
As for this playoff series with the Nuggets, Howard has been crucial in helping the team contain Jokic and protect the paint and could be a major reason why the Lakers ultimately advance to the NBA Finals.
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